Autographic billing and posting machine



Aug. 30, 1932. R RDA-[H 1,875,155

AUTOGRAPHIC BILLING AND POSTING MACHINE Filed Jan. '7, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet l 1932' R. c. ROATH AUTQGRAPHIC BILLING AND POSTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 7, 19

31 3 Sheets-Sheet Patented Aug. 30, 1932 UNITED stars arenr was ROBERT C. ROATH, OF ALLIANCE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE ZMCCASKEY REGISTER COM- IEANY, OF ALLIANCHOHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO AUTOGBAiI-IIC BILLING.A1 TD POSTING MACHINE Application filed January 7, 1931. Serial No. 507,118.

The invention relates to machines for use in a one-writing accounting system and more particularly to a billing and posting machine in which with the writing of the sales slip or invoice, the records are automatically posted upon a ledger sheet, customers statement and-proof sheet.

The object of theimprovement is to provide a billing and posting machine provided 0 with a writing bed over which is movable a proof sheet or proof roll, a movable clamp holder being provided for carrying the ledger sheet and statement with carbon sheets interleaved and adapted tobe placed upon the writing bed over the proof sheet.

A further object is to provide means for moving a sales slip over the proof sheet and ledger sheet both longitudinally and transversely whereby all entries of record written on the sales slip, such as the date, customers name, balance forwarded, items and amount purchased, credits and new balance, although written vertically on the sales slip, will be distributed longitudinally on the underlying ledger sheet, statement and proof'sheet as iscustomary in double entry ledger posting.

A further object of the machine isto provide a feed roll and rewind roll for the proof sheet so arranged as to take up all slack in the proof sheet and provided with operating means for advancing the proof sheet one line for each entry made thereon.

-A still further object is to provide label holders and an indicator for properly positioning the ledger sheet and sales'slip with reference to each other and the proof sheet whereby the writing and posting positions are at all times Visible.

The above and other objects may be attained by providing abase having a flat writing table over which the proof sheet 'is' adapted to be passed longitudinally from a supply roll to a rewind roll; a clamp, which may form a part o-f'a statement andcontinuous ledger account file, being adapted to be properly positioned over the proof sheet and carrying a ledger sheet and statement with carbon interleaved.

A carriage is mounted upon the base and w-arranged to be operated to move longitudinally thereon, a lever or the like being provided for step by step movement of the carriage. A second carriage ismounted on the longitudinally movable carriage and adapt ed to be moved transversely of the table, suitable operating and stop means being provided for operating the same to different posi-' tions The second carriage is adapted to carry a sales slip with carbon beneath the same whereby entries madeon the sales slip will be recorded on the ledger sheet, statement and proof sheet.

An embodiment of the invention is illus trated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a plan view of the improved billing and posting machine with parts broken away;

Fig. 2, a section taken substantially on the line 2-2, Fig. l;

Fig. 3, a section as on the line 33, Fig. 1, with parts'broken away for the purpose of illustration i Fig. 4, a side elevation of the billing and posting machine with parts broken in section; and

Fig. 5, a fragmentary sectional elevation showing the operating key for the feed roll. Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

The machine may include a base comprising the side members 10 and end members 11 forming substantially a rectangular frame which may be mounted upon any suitable support such as the cabinet 12, a portion of which is indicated in the drawings, and which may house the statement and continuous ledger account file equipment.

A, flat writing bed or table 13 is carried by the base and located beneath the writing bed and near opposite ends of the base are a supply roll 14 and rewind roll 15, a proof sheet 16 being-arranged to be unwound from the supply roll and passed over the writing bed 13 and then under the feed roll 14a, after which it is wound upon the rewind roll, suitable openings or slots 17 being preferably provided in the writing bed to receive the proof sheet.

Any suitable means may be'provided for r so regulating the driving and tension ratios of the supply roll and feed roll that all slack in the proof sheet is taken up so that the proof sheet is held tautover the Writing bed at all times.

The-shaft 14b of the feed roll may extend through oneside wall 10, and is provided with a ratchet wheel 14c, fixed thereto and housed within the casing 14d, an operating key 146 being pivoted upon the shaft and extended through the opening or slot 14f'in the casing. A pawl 149 is carried by the For the purpose of winding the proof sheet "upon the rewind roll, any suitable means maybe provided suchas indicated generally by the crank handle 18. If it is desired to windthe proof sheet backwards in order to inspect the same, this handle may be removed from the rewind roll: and engaged with the supply roll, the tension mechanism 18a upon the feed roll being first released.

The ledges sheet 19 and statement 20 may be carried in a clampindicated generally at i '21 with carbon sheet 22 interleaved. This assembly may form part of a statement and continuous ledger account file which may be operated in conjunction with the billing'and a posting machine.

A carbon sheet 22a may be withdrawn from asup-ply roll 226, located in a trough or tubular housing 220 carried on one side member 10, this carbon sheet being located over the proof sheet 16 and extending entirely across the same to the opposite side of the machine. The clamp 21 comprises two members 21a and 21b, hinged together along one longitudinal edge, as shown at 210, the member 21a having prongs 21d at its free edge, to be received in spaced perforations near one edge of the ledger sheet, and the member 21bhaving notches 216 along its free edge to receive said prongs, suitable locking means, as indicated generally at 21f, being provided for clamping the members together upon the edge portion of the ledger sheet;

The clamp 21 is adapted to be placed in a clamp holder upon the base indicated general-ly at 23 which may be adapted for longitudinal sliding operation upon the base by means of a notched or ratchet device corresponding to the line spacing on-the ledger sheet to insureaccuracy of position of the ledger sheet and statement in the machine.

For the purpose of indicating the proper position in which to place the ledger sheet in the machine'anindicating pointer 23a is carried by one side member of the lower car-i riage and cooperates with the graduations 23?) upon the adjacentside member 10 to indicate 7 s the horizontal line upon which the writings are to be made.

the rails 24;

Longitudinally disposed track rails 24 are mounted upon the side memberslO of the base and a longitudinally movable carriage is mounted to move upon these rails. This carriage includes the side members 25 upon which are carried rollers 26 operating upon 7 The side members 25 are transversely of the machine and at their rear ends'by a similar track rail'27a connected to the lower corner portions of the side memconnected at their forward ends by a track rail 27 extending bers and by the stop bars 28 and 29 located some distance above therail.

Each of these stop bars is milled as indicated'at 30, being preferably-providedwith twelve grooves. to an inch and metal stops31- and 32, which may be provided in various thicknesses, are adapted to be'selectiv'ely engagedlin any desired grooves in the milled stop bars. -These metal stops may be, varied in thickness at the contact points'by riveting: thereon a rim of various printers point thicknesses up to six dimensions,therebyprovidingmachine. adjustment to a printerspoint forcolumnar andline manifoldingv A some; what similarpair of stopbars 33'and. 34 is v mounted along'each of the sidememberslO of the base and provided with the-stops 35 and 36 respectively. 9 I v a A second carriage is mounted for movement upon the rails 27 and 27a on the first named carriage so as to move transversely across the machine. This second carnage is in the-form 1 of a housing indicated generally. at 37 and is provided with rollers 38 which operate upon the rails 27 and 27 a; i

A tension device of any suitable and known design maybe provided for normally urging the lower carriage toward the rear:,of the machine and a similar tenslon device may be provided for normally urging the'upper carriage toward the right-hand side of the lower carirage. For this purpose one or more spring operated rollers 39 may be mounted at i the rear portion of the base and connected as by metal tapes 40 with the lower car riage and a similar tension'roller 41 may. be s mounted within theupper carriage and connected as by metal tape 42 with the right-hand I 1 side of the lower carriage.

For the purpose of operating the carriages, a pair of operating'levers' or'keys 43 and 44 may be carried by the upper carriage and pivoted intermediatetheir ends to some portion of the upper carriageas indicated at,45. The lever 43 is adapted to control the movecarriage and is provided with an angularup right arm 46 pivoted at its upper end as at 'mentoftheupper carriage-upon the lower I crumed intermediate its extremities as at 51 i and provided at its lower end with a head portion 52 adapted to'alternately engageithe i By depressing-the operating lever 43, the

lever 50 is swung upon its pivot, disengaging the'head thereof from the stop 31 and permitting the tension mechanism to draw the upper carriage to the right, the head 52 contacting with the next stop 32 and arresting the movement of the upper carriage.

As the operating lever 43 is released and permitted to'assume its normal position, the lever will resume its normal position, engaging the head 52 thereof with the next adjacent stop 31 upon the stop bar 28, stopping the carriage for the next record operation.

The lever 44 which controls the movement of the lower carriage upon the base is also pivoted intermediate its ends as at 45 and provided at its rear end with an upturned angular arm 53 upon which may be mounted a ball or roller 54 contacting with the under side of a bar 55 extending across the rear portion of the lower carriage from end to end and provided at each end with an angular lever portion 56 fulcrumed intermediate its ends asat 57 to the side member 25.

' A depending link 58 is universally pivoted to the end of each lever arm 56 and pivoted at its lower end to a lever 59 fulcrumed intermediate its ends upon the adjacent side member 25 of the lower carriage as indicated at 59a. The outer end of each of these levers may be provided with ahead portion 60 for alternate engagement with the stops 35 and 36 of the stop bars 33 and 34 respectively.

Thus by depression of the lever 44 the head portion 60 of each lever 58 will be withdrawn from contact with the stop 35 with which it is engaged and the tension device will pull the lower carriage rearward, the head portions 60 engaging the next stop 36 upon the stop bars 34 momentarily arresting the carriage and as the operating lever 44 is released and returns to normal positions the levers 58 will resume normal position, moving their head portions into engagement with the next stops 35, holding the lower carriage at this position.

A. clamp 61 may be carried by the upper carriage for receiving a sales slip or the like indicated at 62 beneath which is located a The lever 43 is then operated moving the date space 65 of the sales slip over the similar space 650 on the ledger sheet. The date is then written upon the sales slip at the point indicated at 65, being transferred by the carbon onto the ledger sheet and statement at the point 65a andalso upon the proof sheet, directly at the right of the name and in the same horizontal line therewith.

Both operating levers 43 and 44 are then operated together, moving the lower carriage to the right, bringing the column 67 of the sales slip directly over the column 68 of the ledger leaf and moving the point 69 upon the sales slip over the point 70 of the ledger leaf.

The amount of the account forwarded is then written in the space 69 of the sales slip and is at the same time transferred by the carbons at the point 70 upon the ledger leaf and statement and also transferred onto the proof sheet, in the same horizontal line with the name and date.

Both operating levers 43 and 44 are again operated, bringing the line 71 of the sales slip directly over the line 72 of the ledger leaf. The item purchased is then written in upon the line 71 of the sales slip and is transferred onto the line 72 of the ledger leaf and state ment and also onto the proof sheet. The amount of the purchase is also at the same time written in the space 7 3 of the sales slip and transferred by the carbons onto the space 74 of the ledger leaf and statement and also onto the proof sheet, in the same horizontal line with the previous writings.

If there are several items purchased they will be written in on succeeding lines upon the sales slip and recorded on corresponding lines of the ledger leaf and statement. Assuming there are no credits or payments made at the time of the charge purchase, the operating levers 43 and 44 will be operated to move the lower carriage rearward and the upper carriage to the right to bring the sales slip into position where the column 67 will be directly above the column 75 of the ledger sheet.

The new balance is then obtained by vertical addition on the sales slip and written in the column 67 of the sales slip directly beneath the amount of the last item entered Jul) thereon and will be transferred onto the upper line of the column 75 on the ledger leaf and statement and also upon the proof sheet in line with the last item of purchase.

It will be seen that all of these writings although written vertically on the sales slip will appear in a horizontal line upon the ledger leaf, statement and proof sheet. The sales slip may then be given to the customer and the clamp 21 removed from the machine, the ledger leaf and statement being returned to the statement and continuous ledger file and the carriages may be returned to normal position ready for the next operation of the machine. The proof sheet may then be moved forward the necessary number of lines,

by'thefeed roll key 14e,to place the same in position to receivethe nextrwritmg' Although a clamp 61 is shown for holding separate sales tickets, it shouldbe understood that any means may be provided-forsholding the sales slip in the proper position upon the upper carrlage. maybe contained within the'housing forming the upper carriage either in a roll or pack and so arranged that the foremost slip may beLpulled forward into'the position-shown in Fig.1 when it is desired to operate the ma chine. With this construction the; machlne may be constructed and operated as a combined autographic register and posting ma-,

chine. 'For the purpose of keeping the lower carriage squarely aligned at all times, a pair of.

rack bars 80 may be mounted upon the frame,

parallel with the track rails 24,- and pinions 81, mounted upon a shaft 82, journaled in the lower. carriage, are adapted to engage said rack bars.v

Similar rack bars .84; are carried by the lowercarriage, the under sides thereof; beingengaged'by pinions 185, journaled upon the upper'carriage, for the purpose of keeplng the upper carriage squarely aligned.

An indicating label 86 may be placed upon i r the upper carriage, above and in line with the sales ticket clamp 61,. and a label 87 maybe mounted upon the front of thelower carriage, whereby the writing position of the machlne may be indicated at all times.

With the use of this machine it will be seen that a one-writing accounting system 1s provided-in which all-of the bookkeeping .required is done in asingle writmg uponthe sales slip at the time of each transaction, a permanent record being made upon the ledger leafwhile the statementsheet is also recorded nally and transversely of the machine, and by variation in the stop positions, various methods of distributing the writings, upon difierent kinds of forms, may be carried out without changing the construction or operation of the machine. V v I claim:

' l. 'A billing and postingmachine includ ing awriting bed, means for positioning a ledger leaf upon said writing bed, and carriages for selectively moving a sales slip and carbon longitudinally and transversely :over the writing'bed and {means for stopping the If desired, the sales: slips carriagesat a plurality-"of.predetermined positions. I f V 2. A billing and posting machine includ ing a. writingbed, means for: positioning a ledger leaf upon said writing bed, and care riages for moving a sales slip and carbon both. longitudinally and transversely over. the;

writing bed and means for stoppingthe care.

riages at a plurality of predetermined posi tions whereby a vertical-series M of writings upon the sales slip .will obe recorded in ahori:v

zontal line upon the ledger leaf.

Abilling and posting machine .includ-. A

ing a writing bed,1n1eans for supporting a proof sheet in position over the writin' bed, means for positioning'aledger leaf an carbon overthe proof sheet, and longitudinally and transversely movable carriages, for seleotively moving a sales sllp and carbon over I the proof sheet and ledger .leaf and means for stopping the carriages ,in a plurality. of predetermined. positions.

. 4'. A billing and posting machine including a writing bed, means for supporting a proof sheetin position over the writing bed, means for positioning a ledger leaf and carbon over the proof sheet, carriages for selectively moving a sales slip and carbon longitudinally and transversely over the proof sheet andledger leaf and means for stopping the carriages at a plurality of predetermined positions.

5. A billing and posting machine including a writing bed, means for supporting aproof sheet in position over the writing bed, means for positioning a ledger leaf and'carbon over the proof sheet, carriage means for selectively moving a'sales slip and carbon over the proof sheet and ledger leaf, means for stopping the carriage means at a plurality of predeter mined positions and means for moving the proof sheet over the writing'bed.

ios

6. A billing and posting machine including a writing bed, means for supporting a proof sheet in position over the writing bed, means for positioning a ledgerleaf and carbon over the proof sheet, carriages for selectively moving a sales slip and carbon longitudinally and transversely over the proof sheet and ledger leaf, keys for operating the carriages, stops for stopping the carriages at a pluralityof predetermined positions and means for mo-ving the proof-sheet over the writing bed.

7 A billing and postingmachine including 5 a writing bed, means for supporting a proof sheet in position over the writing bed, means for positioning a ledger leaf and carbon over the proof sheet, and carriage means for moving a sales slip and carbon both longitudinally and transversely over the writing bed and for stoppingsaidsales slip and carbon at a pluralitv of predetermined positions whereby a vertical series of writings upon the sales slip will berecorded in a horizontal line upon the ledger leafand proof sheet.

8. Abilling and posting machine including relation upon said stop bars, and a movable a Writing bed, means for supporting a proof sheet in position over the Writing bed, means for positioning a ledger leaf and carbon over the proof sheet, and carriages for moving a sales slip and carbon both longitudinally and transversely to a plurality of predetermined positions over the Writing bed whereby a vertical series of Writings upon the sales slip Will be recorded in a horizontal line over the ledger leaf and proof sheet.

9. A billing andposting machine including a Writing bed, means for supporting a proof sheet in position over the Writing bed, means for positioning a ledger leaf and carbon over the proof sheet, carriage means for moving a sales slip and carbon both longitudinally and transversely to a plurality of predetermined positions over the Writing bed whereby a vertical series of Writings upon the sales slip Will be recorded in a horizontal line upon the ledger leaf and proof sheet, and means for moving the proof sheet longitudinally over the Writing bed.

10. A billing and posting machine including a Writing bed, means for positioning a ledger leaf upon said Writing bed, a carriage movable longitudinally of the Writing bed, a second carriage mounted upon the first named carriage and movable thereon transversely of the Writing bed, and means upon said second carriage for holding a sales slip.

11. A billing and posting machine including a Writing bed, means for positioning a ledger leaf upon said Writing bed, a carriage movable longitudinally of the Writing bed, a second carriage mounted upon the first named carriage and movable thereon transversely of the Writing bed, means upon said second carriage for holding a sales slip, and independent means for moving each carriage.

12. A billing and posting machine including a Writing bed, means for positioning a ledger leaf upon said Writing bed, a carriage movable longitudinally of the Writing bed, a second carriage mounted upon the first named carriage and movable thereon transversely of the Writing bed, means upon said second carriage for holding a sales slip, and means for stopping eachcarriage at predetermined points.

13. A billing and posting machine including a Writing bed, means for positioning a ledger leaf upon said Writing bed, a carriage movable longitudinally of the Writing bed, a second carriage mounted upon the first named carriage and movable thereon transversely of the Writing bed, means upon said second carriage for holding a sales slip and means for indicating the Writing position of the machine.

14. A machine including a frame, a carriage movable upon the frame, a pair of parallel stop bars, stops located in staggered member upon the carriage for cooperation with said stops.

In testimony that I claim the above, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

ROBERT C. ROATH. 

